Japanese stage protest against secrecy bill

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Protestors attend an anti-secrecy bill rally in front of the parliment building in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 26, 2013. Japan's lower house of parliament passed a bill on Tuesday that will empower the government to better secure sensitive information and state secrets as well as increase penalties for those who leak them. In recent nationwide surveys, the new secrecy bill has been opposed by more than 50 percent of Japanese citizens, with just over 35 percent in favor of it. Those not in favor of the bill are concerned that the new legislation will make it harder for the public to receive real or truthful information from a bureaucratic government already known for not freely conveying sensitive information -- even if the information directly affects the well-being of the populace. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)